Don't Call It a Comeback

What Happened When I Stopped Chasing PRs, and Started Chasing Happiness

By: Keira D'Amato, Evelyn Spence

Narrated by: Keira D'Amato

"Don't Call It a Comeback is fireworks in a crowded field of athlete memoirs. With a knack for hilariously vulnerable storytelling, Keira unspools a fascinating tale of her unconventional running career." —Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures

A victorious tale of coming back in middle age to topple marathon records, from the running world's most beloved underdog, mom of two, and woman voted "most fun follow" on Strava. This program is read by the author, Keira D'Amato.

Keira D’Amato was an all-American runner who used to chase success. But after being injured in her early twenties, she assumed her running career was over, and settled into life as a military spouse and mother of two young children. In her early thirties, she found herself overweight, out of shape, and battling postpartum depression. She knew that improving her fitness would make her feel better, and told herself to just get out and run ninety seconds, down her street and back. To her dismay, she couldn’t do it. But two days later she tried again. And six years after that, she broke the American women’s record in the marathon at the age of thirty-seven.

Keira has created a buzz in the world of professional athletics by taking the road less traveled. The normal trajectory for an elite female athlete has been to focus on sport first, then get a "real" job, and finally, have a family. Keira upended that: she married her high school sweetheart, had two babies in quick succession, began her career in real estate—and only then returned to running. But it’s not just her relatable background that makes Keira so popular amongst fellow runners. We assume that to be successful, one must be serious and humorless, with an all-or-nothing approach to ambition. But what if the opposite were true—that cultivating more fun, and more variety in your life could actually help you reach your biggest goals?

At an age when most athletes consider retirement, Keira is just getting started. And she’s determined to share the secrets of her success to help readers to start chasing their own happiness, to dream a big, scary dream, and ultimately to find their way back to themselves.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press

Go for it

Loved this! Gave me hope and a drive to move forward with my goals! We can do hard things!

Exceptional Runner with a Relatable Story

Keira is an exceptional runner with a relatable story that inspires hope in people who ask if it’s too late for them to try.

Awesome memoir, very inspiring.

Keira’s story is well told and she is an amazing and courageous woman. Loved this book.

LOVE IT

Such a genuine story without a perfect hero ending. It’s heartfelt, honest, and SO Keira. Love the jokes! Seriously, if you are competitive in any sport this has the wisdom and outlook you need. This was the perfect read heading into my next marathon!

Love how Keira shares the deep challenges

I enjoyed this book very much and especially her experience with working through the pain of running and how it felt to run her hardest races. This aspect of the pain cave and how it feels isn’t talked about enough. I gained running experience from this book.